Revoked - Truck driver rest facilities Notice

This Direction was revoked on 3 July 2020, and is no longer in effect.

Summary

Effective from: 9 April 2020 to 3 July 2020

Posted: 9 April 2020

Notice of the Chief Health Officer in accordance with particular powers arising from a public health emergency order

Public Health Act 2005 (Qld)

Section 362F

On 29 January 2020, under the Public Health Act 2005, the Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services made an order declaring a public health emergency in relation to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The public health emergency area specified in the order is for ‘all of Queensland’. Its duration has been extended by regulation to 19 May 2020 and may be further extended.

Further to this declaration, l, Dr Jeannette Young, Chief Health Officer, to respond to the COVID-19 emergency, publish the following notice pursuant to section 362F of the Public Health Act 2005.

PART 1 — ACCESS TO TRUCK DRIVER REST FACILITIES

  1. The purpose of this Part is to recommend owners or operators of businesses operating a truck driver rest facility to continue normal opening hours of the facility during the period of the COVID-19 emergency to assist in the safe movement of road freight, heavy vehicle drivers and essential road users.
  2. This Notice should be read in conjunction with the Non-essential business, activity and undertaking Closure Direction (No. 5) in relation to the provision of food and drink at truck driver rest facilities, or its successor, or another Public Health Direction.

Recommendations

  1. An owner or operator of a truck driver rest facility is recommended to continue normal opening hours of the facility during the period of the COVID-19 emergency to assist in the safe movement of road freight, heavy vehicle drivers and essential road users.
  2. In continuing normal opening hours for the facility, owners and operators should ensure social distancing and risk mitigation measures are in place at the facility to the extent practicable, including—
    1. providing appropriate signage that clearly states social distancing and appropriate hygiene requirements must be followed;
    2. providing guidance to all employees working in the truck driver rest facility based on the Queensland Department of Health website;
    3. ensuring cleaning and sanitising of all surfaces, doors and high traffic areas, particularly those in areas open to the heavy vehicle drivers and essential road users;
    4. ensuring soap or handwash is readily available in toilets and showers;
    5. ensuring the shower facility is cleaned and sanitised following each use, with showers that have been cleaned marked as ready to be used;
    6. providing additional hand sanitising stations for employees, heavy vehicle drivers and essential road users to encourage use;
    7. putting in place procedures to closely monitor the health of all employees, with at least daily reporting or check-ins by supervisors;
    8. tables, seating and road user numbers should be managed to provide appropriate social distancing;
    9. employees should minimise their interaction with the heavy vehicle drivers and essential road users in the truck driver rest facility to those that are essential to provide them with the facility’s services;
    10. removing all self-service options unless pre-packaged;
    11. continue to meet all other work, health and safety and other regulatory requirements.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Public Health Direction:

  1. Heavy vehicle has the same meaning as in the Heavy Vehicle National Law 2012 (Qld).
  2. Normal opening hours means the opening hours which the truck driver rest facility usually operated prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
  3. Essential road user means a person to whom the following paragraphs (a) to (d) applies:
    1. the person is required to leave their place of residence to:
      1. perform work or volunteering or carry out or conduct an essential business, activity or undertaking; or
      2. to comply with or give effect to the exercise of a power or function of a government agency or entity under a law;
    2. the person’s work, business activity or undertaking to be performed is of a nature that cannot reasonably be performed from the person’s place of residence;
    3. the person cannot reasonably return to their place of residence, business, work or undertaking to partake in a meal; and
    4. it is reasonably necessary for the person to utilise the facilities of the truck driver rest facility to undertake fatigue management breaks.

    Examples– essential road users include road and rail workers such as RoadTek and Queensland Rail maintenance crews, utilities workers, agriculture sector workers (such as specialist maintenance staff required to maintain sugar mills), workers required to calibrate or maintain equipment essential to continue the safe operation of critical infrastructure and systems, critical resources sector employees, emergency services personnel, health practitioners, authorised officers (such as local government inspectors) and volunteers providing essential care (such as a Meals on Wheels volunteer delivering food to the elderly).

  4. A truck driver rest facility means businesses operating a truck driver lounge, truck driver room, or similar facility at a road side service centre or service station, which normally provide heavy vehicle drivers access to amenities such as food, showers, restrooms and facilities to undertake fatigue management breaks.

Dr Jeannette Young
Chief Health Officer

9 April 2020

Published on the Queensland Health website at 9 April 2020 08:22 pm

Last updated: 3 July 2020